


Protective

by WeirdWorldOrder



Series: Ciphers [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Bill is a jerk, Demonic Possession, F/F, Human Bill Cipher, M/M, Minor Pacifica Northwest/Mabel Pines, Older Pines Twins, POV First Person, Past Character Death, Poor Will, Possessive Bill Cipher, Reverse Bill Cipher, Reverse Pines, hinted Will Cipher/Stanford, possible psychological torture/abuse, suspenseful moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 09:37:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5823622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeirdWorldOrder/pseuds/WeirdWorldOrder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hello, my name is William Cipher.  Believe it or not I am a demon, from an alternate universe.  I am possessed by another, my counterpart.</p><p>His name is Bill.</p><p>Perhaps there is a silver lining when one looks hard enough.  Everyone he knew was gone, dead, but at least he could see the smiling faces of their nicer doubles.  Still, it was only a matter of time before his own took that away as well.  Until then he could try to enjoy it, before the proverbial rug was ripped out from under him.  Perhaps in the meantime he could learn his counterpart's true plans for the Pines family.  No one suspected the wrench in the system would be someone other than Bill Cipher.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protective

**Author's Note:**

> I am back everyone, with the sequel that promises to extend this initial trilogy into something more. ;)
> 
> Please let me know of any grammatical and spelling errors you find. Other than that I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think in general.
> 
> All hail our Triangle Overlord!

My name is Will Cipher. I am a demon, I guess. I never cared for that label. Demons are typically terrifying, immoral creatures, and I’ll be the first to admit that I jump at my own shadow more often than not. I suppose the easiest explanation is that I am a supernatural being from another dimension, and an alternate universe. I have existed for as long as I can remember, and gained a vast array of information in the countless centuries since. My dream had been to share such knowledge with another, but I have always been a coward. My fear of others led me to assist the world in secret. Of course this caused humans to seek deeper knowledge. When a few drew close to contacting me, I hid away to avoid my crippling anxiety.

It had been a long time since I went into hiding when a man sought the knowledge I could give. Stanford was interested in the paranormal, obsessed with it even. He showed a great deal of dedication and patience when gathering the information and materials he wanted. His goal was to better humanity, and the other beings he discovered living in the world. I helped him construct a portal that would allow access to other worlds. Stanford wanted to learn from them and advance his world through the knowledge they provided. We became good friends rather quickly, or so I thought.

When Stanford betrayed me I was not prepared for it; I had never even thought him capable of such a thing. I was so wrong to trust him, to trust anyone. He bound me to his will, and used my power for his own personal gain. I was unable to deny his commands when he ordered me to ruin his assistant. I was only thankful I was not ordered to end Fiddleford McGucket, instead he was driven insane. Stanford contacted his brother, Stanley, not long after that.

The brothers, twins, had a strained relationship since Stanley had been kicked out by their father. There had been no contact between them in the years since until the day Stanley showed up. Stanford was adamant about restoring their brotherly bond, but Stanley was too far gone in his hatred for the family that abandoned him. The portal that was to be their crowning achievement was made Stanford’s prison. There was no telling where he ended up after Stanley pushed him in.

I had not been in Stanford’s service for long, but it was a terrible experience I would not be forgetting any time soon. It was also not the last time I would see that particular family. No, I found myself bound once more, this time by the great niece and great nephew, also twins, by the names of Mabel and Dipper respectively. They terrified me, and tormented me. They were using Stanford’s recorded knowledge to gather power. Stanley was leading them while he reactivated the portal that would lead to other worlds, other universes to conquer. No one was prepared for what lay beyond it

The world we came to was much like the one I knew, yet vastly different. There were familiar faces, both of people my captors had tormented and those in their service. My master and mistress took it upon themselves to round up a few citizens for information, and to torture. Stanley wanted a decent foothold in the new world. The best way, to them, was to dispose of their counterparts. I hated being dragged along, but I could never go against their orders.

It was hard to believe there were versions of my captors that were not so destructive and power hungry. The Pines we encountered seemed like a happy family, and very loyal and protective of one another. Three of them escaped the twins’ initial attack. They captured the alternate Stanford, and my master gave chase to the remaining trio. I did not know if he succeeded in taking any of them down. Ford was brought before Stanley and interrogated. He was stubborn and refused to betray his beloved family. I managed to find it within myself to disobey and set him free.

I knew I would be punished for setting their prisoner free. It was hard to say what drove me to do it. Perhaps I was just so scared of hearing those screams again, or I dreaded that Ford would finally crack. Somehow I found something inside to go against my captors, despite knowing what they would do to me afterwards. That was when everything changed. That was when the real nightmare began. That was when all of us met him.

They did not survive the encounter that none of us had prepared for. I still do not know how to feel about their deaths. No one else can be hurt by them now, but I could never find it in myself to wish for another’s death no matter what they have done. Perhaps what bothers me the most is that it was, in a way, done by my hands? Whether I had control or not my body, this vessel, was used to slaughter all three of them. Those vacant eyes and blood stained lips will forever haunt me, and I don’t believe I will ever again be free of him.

My name is Will Cipher. I was once a simple, blue triangle sporting a top hat. Believe it or not I am a demon. Now I am possessed by one. His name is Bill.

 

It was hard to believe that my counterpart could go from slaughtering humans to pretending to be friendly toward them. He was deceptively good at it. Bill adopted a number of my habits around the Pines, or he could have allowed me control ever so briefly. He allowed me to watch their interactions at least, though sometimes I would rather be anywhere else. His plans for them must have required their trust. I dread the thought that he simply plans to kill them. I know too little about my counterpart aside from the fact that he is essentially everything I am not.

The Pines family and their friends were understandably wary to begin with. I wish they would have stayed that way. This universe’s Stanley was probably the most resentful of my (Bill’s? Our?) presence. I shrank back when he started yelling about Ford vouching for me. Again, I am unsure if Bill fakes such actions, or gives me control in those brief moments. Regardless of what the case may be the timid reaction was enough to give everyone pause. Bill has obviously tricked at least one of them before, but they do not believe he would play the part of the coward.

I am only truly capable of watching the interactions between them, when Bill allows it. It is rare that I am shut within the prison my mind has become. He pays me little mind as I do not fight against him. I am not sure if he uses it to torment me, or if it is his way of taking pity on me for all I have endured. I do not truly believe Bill capable of such, but I have come to witness his strange and often contradictory interactions with the Pines and their friends.

The introduction to their friends was a strained affair at best. They held varying degrees of suspicion and fear at learning that I was both from the same world as the Pines’ dangerous doubles, and Bill’s rather timid counterpart. Bill played his part flawlessly enough. He mirrored their slow acceptance, yet continued to shy away from even the briefest physical contact. Stan Pines kept his distance while also watching suspiciously. Dipper slowly allowed Bill into his space, and enjoyed the hesitant input my counterpart provided. It was Ford and Mabel who tried to shake him of his apparent fear.

Mabel was an adamant hugger, and infinitely encouraging. She was initially suspicious as all of them were, but warmed up to Bill once he allowed himself to become a model for her sweaters. Their false friendship was sealed when he took a liking to her Mabel Juice, which everyone else seemed terrified of for its unholiness. The girl seemed to possess an infinite amount of energy that kept Bill entertained. Mabel loved to share her sticker collection when she felt accomplished. She found that others accomplished a lot quite often.

“Are you ready yet?” Mabel asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Ready for what?” My voice hesitantly called back.

It was rather disconcerting that Bill could adopt my mannerisms so easily. He still did things that I would never have been capable of bringing myself to, but his speech pattern had become so eerily similar. Despite the dread he projected my counterpart was actually completely calm while he watched our reflection. Mabel had shoved him into the bathroom in order to try on the sweater she had made. It was a sky blue, much like the classy tops that tended to cover our form, with a large eye in the center that resembled my original form. I knew Bill preferred yellows and gold, but he wouldn’t allow himself to slip up in such a way.

“Does the sweater fit?” Mabel asked again with a combination of excitement and patience. “You did put it on, right?”

“...yes,” Bill replied with false fear. No one else seemed to pick up on his act. It is only because I can sense the smallest hints of his true emotions that I can even tell the lie. He was amused.

“Then come out and show me how handsome you are,” Mabel encouraged. She was working to contain her usual enthusiasm, but sounded just as happy. The tone helped even if she was not actually speaking to me.

Bill sighed almost inaudibly before rubbing at his face. His amusement was waning in the face of continuing the charade. I could feel him contain his desire to show off. When he had composed himself our face held the same stress and anxiety he projected around the Pines and friends. Bill hesitated as our hand met the door’s shiny handle. Mabel was waiting in the little hallway with a patient smile. She didn’t say anything while Bill stepped out of the room. Her hands came up to her mouth when she finally got a good look at the sweater on us. She was biting her fists, but happiness was still plain in her chocolate colored eyes.

“It fits, right?” Mabel asked after she had composed herself. Bill was amused, but continued to act like she would strike him at a moment's notice. “You don’t feel itchy wearing it, do you? Do you like it?”

“It...It is nice,” Bill responded. “Thank you.”

Mabel released a strange noise that signified her uncontainable happiness. She wrapped her arms around our vessel in a friendly hug. Bill stiffened, and I admittedly shrank back initially. We relaxed after a moment, I only because I was indeed getting used to the slightly older twin’s over excitability. She squeezed just a little harder when Bill allowed our arms to hesitantly settle on her shoulders. The rest of that day we had a new sweater, and a strange sticker with a “thumbs up” pasted to our left cheek. I actually felt happy and accomplished.

There were more sweaters to try on after that. Mabel was an arts and crafts master, by what the other Pines said. I would have to agree. She hoped to start a brand of sweaters for everyone to enjoy. Her pet pig, Waddles, even modeled a line for her. Many of the sweaters she made for us were in light shades of blue. The joyous sparkle in her eyes was quite uplifting, and it seemed to help the others get used to Bill’s presence. I dreaded that side effect more than anything.

“Can’t you do that elsewhere?” Dipper questioned while he wrote in his journal. He was working on improving the three his great uncle had written, and then possibly making his own.

“Come on, Dip-dop, we aren’t bothering you,” Mabel reassured. I was not so sure about that, but it’s not like I could have said anything. “Besides, Will here would like spending time with you.”

“Then why are you here?” Dipper asked, but his tone seemed more teasing than anything else.

The twins shared a look that I did not understand, but that was nothing new. They claimed that the twin telepathy myth was just that, yet they did manage to have silent conversations it seemed. I think Bill understood what they were hinting about. There was very little that actually got past him despite his act of obliviousness in many situations. Silence permeated the room even after Dipper returned to his writing.

A sweater was forced against us by Mabel. She always wore an encouraging smile. I had no real basis to know whether that was her normal smile or not. Bill was constantly looking into my memories, but I never even tried to find where I could access his. He would most likely be furious with me. I could sense him in the dark corners when he was double checking information about me and my world. I knew he was watching even when I felt his concentration was elsewhere.

Bill looked at the sweater for a moment before setting it down. Mabel made a squeaking sound when my vision was filled with the blue fabric of the sweater currently covering our body. There was some other sound that came from Dipper’s direction. The sweater seemed to be fighting to stay on us. I panicked within my prison of a mind. The twins began shouting my name in their own frantic worry. I still could not see anything other than blue, but I could feel the floor against our bare back.

“Will, are you okay?” Dipper questioned from somewhere above us. I could feel tugging before the light of the room revealed itself once more. Dipper’s face was a short distance away, and slightly pinkish from increased blood flow that slowly faded at his worried expression. “Will?”

“I’m okay,” Bill replied. He slowly got up after Dipper moved out of our space. The teen seemed to have trouble deciding whether to avert his eyes or look at us. It amused Bill for one reason or another, but most things did to certain degrees. This time he seemed to feel accomplished in something as well. “Uhm… Can I have the new sweater to put on?”

The other two seemed to buy his sheepish act. Mabel tossed the sweater to Dipper who handed it over. He continued to struggle with where to look. My vision was blocked once more, but not for as long this time. They were smiling when they took in the fit of the sweater. Bill must have returned the expression by the way their grins widened. Dipper’s face continued to change into shades of light red when he saw us. I did not understand it, but Bill was disturbingly entertained.

During the night when everyone else slept Bill had free reign of the house. There was a camera in the gift shop area, but the rest of the house was left unmonitored. My counterpart typically remained downstairs, away from the bedrooms of the Pines. It was a slight comfort, yet I knew if he was going to make his move against them there was no better time to do it. I am still undecided if Bill would be the type to end another in their sleep, or if he would find it too boring.

This night was different. I watched in silent dread as the downstairs became the upstairs by taking the human route. The hall stretched on before us, leading to each bedroom. Bill paused at the attic steps, but ultimately passed them up. There was loud snoring coming from Stan’s room. The silence from Ford’s meant he was most likely still in his lab, and would be scolded by his brother and Mabel for not taking care of himself in the morning. If there was a morning for the Pines family.

Bill stopped outside of Mabel’s room. The door was ajar, and one of the few non squeaky ones in the house. The brunette was sound asleep with her beloved pig resting at the foot of her bed. Waddles’ legs twitched as though he was running after something. He was probably dreaming about following his human around. It was something he did often in his younger years from how Mabel talked. A soft noise from the girl drew our attention as my counterpart entered the room further.

The teenager was meowing in her sleep. Bill tilted our head curiously at the sound. He moved closer to the girl, silent as a shadow. He whispered for her to run faster. I do not know what Mabel was having a nightmare about, but surely Bill only wanted to make it worse. I cringed at the thought and tried to shy away from the scene. I couldn’t!

Blue caught my eye just out of sight. Bill lifted our hand to the brunette’s bangs, brushing them from her forehead. Our fingertips held faint blue flames. I stiffened at the sight of such fire so close to Mabel, but there was nothing more I could do. Those fingers touched the girl’s skin briefly, and the sounds of distress ceased. I admit I had been holding my breath up until that point. Bill pulled back after soothing Mabel’s dreams.

I was prepared for him to just leave the room. I actually thought for a moment that he may even check on the others to make sure their dreams were pleasant. Why was I so easily fooled by one single act of kindness? My counterpart stopped on his way out the door to glance at Waddles. My eye widened in terror at the implication. I still was not able to move; Bill was forcing me to watch, to remain a witness to his horror. The blue fire previously at our fingertips ignited to the rest of our hand with a very different intention.

“Not the pig,” I desperately whispered.

Waddles drew closer. No, my counterpart was moving toward the helpless, unsuspecting pig. I struggled against my binds, anything to spare the family I had come to care for. I could do nothing. Bill’s claw hovered over Waddles’ prone form. The pig snorted, but did not wake.

“Please, stop,” I pleaded with Bill. “Don’t do this!”

I couldn’t bear to watch Waddles’ demise from my prison. I struggled against Bill’s hold on me, and finally succeeded. The darkness of our shared mind consumed me. His torturous laughter surrounded me while I could only assume what became of the poor pig. I cried, I wailed within the darkness. The rest of the Pines would follow soon, I knew. None of them were even aware of the monster they allowed to get so close.

 

Ford was the one to vouch for us when we were invited to live with the Pines. It was only because I had helped him out when he was a prisoner that he showed such trust. I regretted it, because it was Bill’s in to get close to them. I could not fully regret saving the man especially after seeing how happy and loyal his family was to one another. The problem was that Bill was becoming a member of that family, because they thought he was me!

The eldest Pines shared many traits with the Stanford I had known. It honestly scared me how similar they could be. Ford was all too eager to share his findings with me, but seemed to deflate when he saw the hesitance Bill faked. He kept up appearances, and Ford remained ever patient in gaining my trust. The man also seemed to berate himself far too much when he was led to believe he had pushed too far.

“I want to show you my lab,” Ford had said after revealing the hidden door disguised as a vending machine.

Bill followed him hesitantly. He must have had an idea of what the man kept down there. It was the only thing to explain the combination of excitement, and his nightmare inducing laughter surrounding me within our mind. Ford was oblivious to all of it, unfortunately. I began panicking; believing this was the chance Bill was waiting for to end the Pines family.

When we reached the main room Ford finally looked back at us. The eager look on his face quickly fell into one of deep concern. I could feel our body shaking, and I think our face was damp from crying. Bill must have allowed my panic to seep through in that moment, because as good of an actor as he has proven to be I know he hates to appear weak in any situation.

“William?” Ford questioned. He stepped closer to offer comfort, but our body jerked away. Ford looked so hurt in that moment. I must have started crying harder. He took a slow step back before raising his hands in a placating manner. “I’m not going to hurt you, Will. You are safe with us. Talk to me, please?”

My memories from Stanford’s betrayal were playing before me again. Bill must have dredged them up in order to gain this reaction from me. I hate to admit that I played along, that I was his perfect little puppet, but I did and I am. I could tell that Ford wanted nothing more than to wrap me in a comforting hug, but was afraid of making me panic more. His eyes held more concern and hurt than I have ever imagined possible in anyone else. He offered for us to return to the ground floor, but all I could respond with was a pitiful whimper.

When Ford tried to shorten the distance between us my limited control was lost once more. Bill allowed him within arm's reach. The human slowly brought his hands back down to his sides. He was not trying to touch us. Ford carefully forced a reassuring smile. He motioned for us to return upstairs. Bill hesitated and glanced between the steps and Ford. The man seemed to take it to mean that we were afraid of him stabbing us in the back. That fear was surprisingly absent for me by that point. 

Bill allowed an hour to pass after we had left the basement before approaching Ford again. The man was relieved that we would not be avoiding further interactions with him. We were making progress, both me and, unfortunately, Bill. While Ford did not try leading us to his hidden lab again he did bring up a few of his projects and experiments. I wondered if Bill would try coaxing him to reveal it after some time had passed. Ford was content at least, and he was more than happy to share his knowledge. Then he began hiding away in his lab for reasons no one knew. It worried me greatly.

“I’ve finally done it,” Ford exclaimed while everyone was gathering Stan-cakes.

He was far too excited so early in the morning. Since he had been working on one of his projects he had not likely slept at all the night before, or the ones leading up to it. While I did not need it, humans such as Ford clearly did. No one was awake enough to join in on his excitement. No one human at least.

“What did you do?” Bill asked. It was hard for even me to tell if his enthusiasm was faked or not. He seemed to backtrack and turn his tone into one of concern. “It wasn’t anything dangerous was it?”

“No, no, I’m perfectly fine,” Ford reassured everyone. He pulled a device from his overcoat. It looked like one of the memory erasers he had shown us a few days ago. “This can change you back, William!”

“What?” Bill stammered. I don’t believe his reaction was faked for once. I was just as disbelieving, and also rather fearful. “Why, why would you do that?”

“To help you,” Ford said matter-of-factly. His smile was a bit unnerving, but he was genuinely trying to help. “I know you don’t like having a physical form, so I’ve been working on a way to change you back into your incorporeal self. Aren’t you happy?”

“I… won’t it hurt?” Bill questioned hesitantly. He did bring up a good point. I shivered at the imagined agony. “I don’t like pain. I… I think I’m getting the hang of this body. Please, I just don’t want pain.”

“Woah, calm down, Will,” Dipper cut in. He brought his hands up to our shoulders and squeezed slightly. “You don’t have to go through with it.”

“No, no you most certainly do not,” Ford assured. He placed the strange gun on the counter before lifting his hands in a placating gesture. “I just thought it would help you, Will. If you prefer this form no one will take it from you. I can even destroy this device if you want.”

“I… no, I understand,” Bill said with a sniffle. He closed his eyes to keep me from seeing anything. I think I felt our body lean forward, but it was stopped by something. Dipper had been the only one in front of us. “Maybe, in case I change my mind, we should keep it.”

“If that’s what you want,” Ford said. I had no idea what he was doing.

“Are you going to be okay?” Dipper questioned. His voice was calm and soothing. There was a strange contentment coming from Bill. “Hey, can you look at me, Will, please?”

A navy blue t-shirt was the first thing to flood my vision when Bill allowed me to see again. I could feel him move back slightly to look at Dipper. The boy was smiling with his hands still resting out of my sight. Bill must have been smiling back in one of his less demented ways. There were still times when the boy was wary of us, but he had become a main source of comfort when Bill pretended to be afraid. 

A few days later Ford was panicking because his invention had gone missing. I was not certain if his research pertaining to it was also taken, or simply destroyed. They were all bothered by the news. Bill was behind it, somehow. I could tell from the amusement permeating the dark corners of our shared mind. No one even suspected us. He was getting far too close to the Pines, and I was still unaware of his exact plans for them. I just knew they were nothing good.

 

I began to doubt his dark intentions for the Pines after a particular incident. I was convinced up to that point that he was simply gaining their trust in order to bring them down. What other plan could Bill have? From the little information I had gleaned from their past interactions the Pines family was a thorn in his side, so there was nothing more he could want than their painful deaths. Right?

Bill tolerated them for the sake of his plans. He did find them amusing to varying degrees. They were intelligent in their own right, and Bill begrudgingly acknowledged that. He did enjoy Ford’s rather dangerous experiments, but that could just be because the human could potentially kill himself and save Bill the trouble. Stan’s threats and suspicions brought him entertainment as well. What could a human really do to an all-powerful demon after all? Mabel’s hyperactivity and seemingly endless ideas brought with them a certain amount of chaos that Bill thrived on. Then there was Dipper.

The youngest of the Pines family held so much curiosity for the world it was intoxicating even for me. It was tempered with a healthy dose of suspicion most of the time. Whatever the reason Bill was drawn to the teen’s need for answers, and loved to watch him flounder when they were not so easily forthcoming. Perhaps that was why he focused on the young man more than the rest of the family; he simply enjoyed watching Dipper struggle.

Still, it doesn’t explain why the boy was the first Bill truly allowed the slightest physical contact with. Despite the fact that Dipper was rarely ever within arm’s reach (second only to Stanley) that first contact was permitted. The teen was actually happy when Bill did not allow our vessel to flinch away or stiffen too much. Obviously Dipper took it as a sign of progress between us and his family. I am still unclear on his thoughts when Bill continued to shy away from such contact with the others for weeks after. He did not express pity toward us as the others tended to, but that could be because he was still rather suspicious of us.

The main incident I am referring to came while Dipper was adding to his own journal. He had been working on better organizing his great uncle’s research. Bill was lounging on the teen’s bed while Dipper scribbled away at his desk on the other side of the attic. My counterpart was being oddly helpful in filling in the blanks Ford had left and Dipper had yet to discover. It seemed uncharacteristic of Bill who I believe would rather watch the boy stumble around for the answers.

“Gremoblins are susceptible to their own fear inducing gaze,” Dipper mumbled as he wrote. It was a habit he shared with Ford. “Hey, Will, do you know other ways to counteract Gremoblins?”

“I’m actually immune to them,” Bill confessed. I had never encountered one personally.

It was interesting to watch my counterpart do away with a number of pretenses around Dipper. Bill allowed himself to relax on the bed. The teen had his back turned to us while he sat at his desk. I knew the Pines had become far too used to our continued existence within their home. It would be their downfall when Bill decided to put his plan into action. A small sound of disappointment came from the hunched over boy. Dipper had the worst posture.

“Oh, swamp mud,” Bill exclaimed a moment later. He was hanging our upper half off the bed to watch Dipper. The teen shifted in his seat to look at us. “Deep in the forest there’s this swampy area. The enchanted mud gets rid of the paralyzing, insanity inducing fear.”

“What do you do with it?” Dipper asked. He was sitting on his knees with his arms resting on the back of the chair. The teen tilted his head slightly. “Do you just splatter it all over the person’s face?”

“That’s pretty much it,” Bill nodded. It was rather disorienting seeing the world upside down, but Bill enjoyed it and the dizzying sensation that came with it. He paused for a moment before righting our perspective. “Well, that was in my world at least.”

“Right, I forget about that sometimes,” Dipper confessed with a small frown. I knew he had questions about other universes. Who wouldn’t after meeting their alternate self? I didn’t, but curiosity was a very human emotion. “I really don’t know why. You’re nothing like…”

“Different universe, different inhabitants,” Bill stated after the teen’s pause. Dipper kept his mocha orbs on us with an unnerving intensity. The teen was trying to decode our very being with that gaze. “I’m not like him; you’re not like… he was.”

Dipper bit his lip after Bill’s words. He seemed to shrink back at the thought of his counterpart. The teen understood that a lot of my fears were caused by what they had done to me. He was doing his best to show me that the Pines were nothing like my tormentors, and they were all doing a good job of it. I could tell there was more on his mind in that moment. He was rethinking his words. There was no doubt that Bill realized this long before I did, but his thoughts on the matter were lost to me.

“There are some similarities,” Dipper admitted. Bill’s attention seemed to focus harder on the teen. The world moved slightly to let me know he was tilting our head. “I mean you know a lot of things, and I’m guessing your powers would be the same. You’re a little weird, but not really insane. Well, aside from your liking of Mabel Juice.”

The teen smiled when Bill laughed. It was not like his typical deranged laughter that he only allowed to echo in our mind for the time being. The sound still held power behind it, though, as if to reveal what he truly was. I could tell that Dipper felt the shift in the air from such a sound. Unfortunately it was not enough to make him question further.

Time seemed to slow after that. Bill’s eyes focused on Dipper when the boy slumped in his chair. The teen was too comfortable in his presence, all of them were. The thing that caught my attention, what Bill focused on, was the displacement of weight on the chair. The front legs tilted off the ground ever so slightly, bringing the weight to the back enough for it to tip over. I barely registered Bill moving when Dipper began to tip forward.

“Boop,” Bill whispered and time seemed to return.

Dipper’s face was much closer. I realized that Bill had placed a finger on the teen’s forehead right over his birthmark. Our arm moved ever so slightly and the chair was once again on all fours. Dipper’s face was red from embarrassment. His left hand quickly moved to cover the constellation with his hair. He quickly went back to his journal to cover up his lapse. Bill was amused by the thoughts he must have glimpsed in the teen’s head. He continued assisting Dipper with the information he wanted. Eventually Dipper tried to make a map from the directions Bill gave him. Dipper was hesitant to believe that it would actually lead to the swamp mud, but I knew Bill had been truthful for once.

The one important detail that had been left out was that the swamp was in harpy territory. Perhaps if Bill had informed Dipper of that the teen would not have gone out alone to collect some samples. Mabel had been off shopping with her friends, and Ford had finally convinced us (Bill) to see his lab. Dipper had not even told anyone he was going out. It was a rather disorienting experience when Bill realized what was happening, or had happened.

The look on Ford’s face startled me as much as Bill’s expression must have startled him. I do not know what that expression was, but it seemed to remind the man what type of creature we were. Ford and the lab disappeared from my vision a second later, only to be replaced with the forest of Gravity Falls. I could feel Bill’s anger all around me. It felt so long ago that this emotion permeated our shared mind. The last time three people had died. I dreaded what this time would bring.

Bill waited for something in the small space between the trees. Our head moved to the left before he moved even an inch. The forest was a blur around us. We collided with something and quickly changed course. There was hard breathing around us. Our arms were holding another against us, one hand covering their mouth to keep them quiet. Bill’s rage was still tangible, but controlled by the barest amount. He wanted to rip something apart, but it was not the being in our grasp.

“Will?” Dipper’s voice drew our attention.

The teen’s back was flush against our chest. Bill had all but curled himself around the boy. Dipper’s clothes were torn in places. The scent of blood was faint, but it was enough to nauseate me. I could hear Bill shushing the brunet, and then the sound of wings and screeching. Dipper was pressed closer to us. I could not tell if it was from his fear, or if Bill was holding him closer. I could tell that Bill wanted to ambush the harpies and tear their feathers off one by one.

I do not know how long we remained hidden at the base of that tree. I was focused on the sounds of the harpies searching for the intruder, but Bill must have been discussing a plan with Dipper. The world rushed by once more when I felt our hand wrap around another’s wrist. There was no sound beyond the pounding of a heartbeat and the distant shrieks of our pursuers.

The tree line came into view and drew ever closer. I could tell Dipper was having trouble keeping up. Somehow I knew Bill would not let him go or fall behind. His controlled rage continued to surround me, but it was almost like an itchy blanket in that moment. The Mystery Shack was in front of us before I knew it. Bill did not slow down even when the angry shrieks finally stopped getting closer. The door slammed behind us and Dipper was dragged to our chest once more. Bill buried his face in the mop of brown hair after sliding down against the door.

“Dipper!?” Ford cried from somewhere in front of us. “What happened to you two?”

Bill stiffened at the old man’s approach and growled. I froze within our mind just as Ford did in front of the pair. Dipper seemed to go limp in Bill’s grasp, but he was still conscious. His hand carefully touched our arm in hopes of calming Bill down. The rage slowly dissipated at the teen’s touch and scent. Bill hesitantly lifted his head from Dipper’s hair with a deep inhalation. He was reluctant to release the boy, but did so once Dipper seemed to squirm in an attempt to look at us.

Ford watched us much more carefully than he had in the past. For the first time since he took my vessel Bill was not allowing me to sense any emotion from him. The lack of pressing rage, or any other emotion, left me almost numb with dread and uncertainty. Dipper was explaining what happened to Ford, but I was unable to focus on their conversation. Memories of first meeting my counterpart were at the forefront of my mind. I could not shake them.

“I almost lost you,” Bill spoke for the first time since entering the Shack. Our focus was on the floor, despite my knowledge that he was referring to Dipper. I was able to feel our fists clench at our sides. I could not sense his anger, but it was there in his movements. “They tried to take you from me.”

“I’m okay now,” Dipper reassured. He held a worried, almost fearful expression when Bill lifted our head. The fear went away a second later at least. “Thanks to you, and I got some mud.”

Dipper held up a jar of the swamp mud to prove his point. It seemed to take some time before Bill fully calmed down. I was able to sense his amusement at the boy once more, but the rage at the harpies was still there. It was strange to be privy to the contradiction this particular Pines brought to my counterpart. I was most likely reading too much into it however. The limited knowledge I had of Bill suggested that it was not so farfetched to believe he would not allow anyone but himself to end any member of the Pines family. That being said, the happiness that mirrored the teen’s own sparked a bit of hope within me.

Ford went for the first aid kit while Dipper was forced to remain at the kitchen table. Bill sat with him and they discussed the creatures Dipper had recently encountered. Bird women were terrifying. Dipper recorded what he could in his journal, adding in whatever Bill told him of the beasts. Harpies were actually quite intelligent beings, and overly territorial when it came to beings outside of their flock. They typically roosted in groups of five, but could have more or less depending on the availability of food. They were much like birds of prey with their enhanced sight, but their larger size made maneuverability difficult in densely forested areas such as Gravity Falls. Dipper jotted everything down along with a quick sketch of the creature.

“Close your eyes,” Bill said once the journal was closed for the time being. 

Dipper looked at him for a few minutes, but complied. Bill left his seat across from the teen. I began to panic as he walked over to the unsuspecting boy. Dipper stiffened when Bill cautiously touched his shoulder. Despite any possible concerns or suspicions his eyes remained closed. The young Pines was unaware of the blue fire lighting on our fingertips. I watched in frozen horror as it slowly spread over the boy. He remained unfazed. The flames died away once Bill removed his hand. All of Dipper’s cuts vanished as well.

“Okay, kid, open ‘em,” Bill ordered after stepping away.

The boy did so, and looked himself over. He smiled at us. Ford came in a few moments later with the first aid kit. He was disappointed to find that he had gone through the trouble of finding it only to not need it, but was no less grateful his great nephew was healed. The teen showed his great uncle the harpy entry for his journal. The trio discussed possible weaknesses of the creature. Bill claimed that fire was a big one, but neither of them understood the hidden meaning.

 

I had hoped that Stan would be the voice of reason for everyone else. He was the only one who seemed to remain completely untrusting of Bill. Similar to Ford, he shared many traits with his counterpart. I was quite terrified of the con artist, and Bill let it seep through more often than not. Stan Pines did not trust us despite the rest of his family coming to accept our presence.

Regardless of the fact that I knew Bill wanted to taunt the old men he kept his distance from him. It was only to keep up appearances. I hate that my counterpart is so talented when it comes to such falsehoods. Bill wanted to antagonize Stan, but avoided him instead after his particularly hostile reactions to our presence. It is what I would have done.

Stan had been walking between rooms in the middle of the night when he slipped and took a fall down the stairs. The culprit had been a misplaced skateboard, despite neither of the younger twins ever using one. Dipper held some odd resentment toward the object for reasons he would not speak of, and my counterpart refused to let me know. Luckily Stan had been found at the bottom not long after; unfortunately Bill was the one to find him.

It was obvious that Bill had set Stan up. I hid in the deepest recesses of my mind to avoid knowing exactly what he would do to the old man. I could still hear some of what happened. The sounds of a body dragging across the floor had me curling further in on myself. I could tell Bill was moving throughout the house, maybe deciding this was the night to be rid of the Pines family once and for all. Despite my fear, I cautiously peeked through the windows he allowed me.

Bill was in the doorway of Ford’s room with the human sound asleep for once. The old man was completely oblivious to the fate I was sure would befall him. Ford shifted under his covers slightly, but did not stir as Bill stepped closer. I felt our vessel stop in my panicked state. I watched on as Ford suffered a nightmare that I could only guess involved my counterpart. Dipper suffered the same sometimes, as I suspected did the others.

A growl sounded within the room. I felt my counterpart’s annoyance. We were moving again by the time I realized that our pause was caused by my fear. I had managed to defy Bill for the briefest of moments, to fight against him. I would surely be punished for such actions, and I shrank back at the mere thought. Our body advanced once more toward the sleeping Ford. The human was completely unaware of the danger closing in while he wrestled his nightmare.

“Bill!”

Ford shouted as he sat bolt upright. It was enough to give my counterpart pause. The man panted to get control over his racing heart. Bill was secretly enjoying the nighttime fear he could induce in the mortal. The eldest Pines eventually noticed us standing there rather awkwardly. His six fingered hand slowly lowered from clutching the white t-shirt covering his chest. Bill silently passed the man his glasses, pretending to be uneasy.

“Will,” Stanford began after collecting himself. “What’s going on?”

“Stanley...he, he’s hurt,” Bill stammered out.

That was all it took to force the twin into action. He threw on a maroon robe while following us downstairs. The man nearly stumbled down the stairs in his haste, but Bill surprisingly kept him from suffering Stan’s fate. We ended up in the living room before the couch. Stanley was unconscious lying on it, but he seemed like he was only asleep. Ford made sure his brother was breathing normally. He was.

“I found him at the bottom of the stairs,” my voice stuttered slightly. “I didn’t know what to do…”

“It’s okay, Will,” Ford reassured. He kept his back to us while trying to decide the best course of action. “Could you wake up the kids?”

Bill did not say anything, but our body began moving back upstairs. It was unclear to me how to process what was happening. Had Bill not killed Stanley when he had the chance? Was he still waiting to make his move against the Pines? Where was he taking us? The last question was answered easily enough when I recognized the way to the attic, Dipper’s room. 

I watched on through our eyes as Bill pushed the door open as quietly as possible. My counterpart watched from the doorway for a brief moment. He focused on the soft rise and fall of the few covers while we drew toward the sleeping form. Dipper released the smallest of whimpers in his restless slumber. I caught the sight of blue flame in our peripheral before my counterpart brought our glowing hand to the slightly revealed birthmark on the teen’s forehead. The boy let out a sigh and seemed to settle into a more restful sleep. Bill appeared reluctant to draw him out of it. He maneuvered us so that Dipper would not immediately see us upon waking.

“Dipper,” he prodded carefully.

“Huh,” the boy mumbled in response. He was still mostly asleep until a few more tries. “Will, what is it?”

“Ford wants everyone downstairs,” my counterpart said. Bill must have been fidgeting slightly. “Would you mind getting your sister up?”

“Sure. Ugh. What time even is it?”

It took a few minutes, but everyone had gathered downstairs by the time Ford finished his call. The younger twins were told what had happened according to Bill’s account. The conscious humans were deeply concerned for Stan. I was worried about all of them; they had no idea of the danger they were truly in. Just like with Stan, with those I had arrived with, there was nothing I could do to stop my counterpart. I didn’t know whether to be relieved Bill was still biding his time, or dread that he was just tormenting me with the waiting.

The Pines followed the ambulance away, leaving us alone in the house. Well, mostly alone, I was reminded of the remaining family member when registering the sounds of curious sniffing. Waddles bumped up against our legs in a bid for attention. Bill relented and picked the pig up. Mabel’s beloved pet squirmed briefly in his attempt to get comfortable in our hold. My counterpart placed the pet in our lap after taking a seat on the couch. Like the rest of the Pines, Waddles had grown accustomed to our presence.

I don’t know how long we remained there with Waddles. Time is irrelevant to an ages old dream demon, on that Bill and I mostly agreed. That being said, I dreaded the news of Stan’s condition, but also hated the wait of finding out. My counterpart appeared rather complacent with Waddles in our lap. The pig had fallen asleep, and I assume Bill was manipulating his dreams in some manner. He carefully moved the pig onto the other cushion before standing up.

Bill took us to the gift shop area of the Mystery Shack. We remained just inside while he watched the door to the outside. He debated something I could not tell. This would probably have been his best chance to sneak into Ford’s lab behind the vending machine. I do not know what all the human holds down there, but something exists beyond that secret door that interests Bill. My counterpart ignored the perfect opportunity, as he usually did. Time was not something we had to worry about, and more opportunities would present themselves for him in the future.

The attic came into view as my counterpart navigated the house with Waddles tucked under our right arm. The pig was in a forced sleep now, and Bill would allow him to wake only when he felt like it. I dreaded what my double had planned. Bill looked around the bedroom with minimal interest, I think. Dipper’s room was as messy as ever and nothing was going to change that, or keep it clean. My counterpart did not bother wasting the magic to fix it up.

Dipper’s favorite trucker hat had been left on the bed in the boy’s haste. Bill brushed the fingers of our free hand over the blue pine tree in the center. This was not the original hat, I knew that much. The boy had lost it while fleeing his double from my world, and had no clue of its fate. I found myself once again doubting my counterpart’s intentions for the Pines family. Dipper’s old hat was safely tucked away in a place only Bill could access, Waddles was securely tucked under our arm, and my counterpart had more or less saved Stan by informing the others his version of what had transpired. If Bill did have plans to end the Pines family he had had plenty of opportunities to do so. Why had he not taken them? Sure more chances would undoubtedly come up.

My counterpart moved on to the window in the center of the opposite wall. It resembled our form in tinted red. He pushed it open to the cool summer night. Our hold on Waddles was readjusted. Bill placed our free hand at the top of the window. He used that foothold to swing out onto the roof. I felt a small thrill that was not solely fear at the sensation. My reaction must have amused him for one reason or another.

A fold-up chair was waiting for us alongside a cooler. It had been left up there by Wendy, one of the twins’ friends. Bill took a can of Pitt Cola out of the cooler and flopped down on the chair. Waddles was allowed to rest on our stomach. The snap of the can opening made the pig shift a little, but he settled down. Bill took a swig of the soda that probably should have drowned us. I hate to admit it, but I found myself relaxing despite the anxiety still gripping me. I had all but convinced myself that Stan would be perfectly fine and back to suspiciously glaring at us by morning.

A snap of fingers and blue spark caught my attention. Bill had summoned the familiar tattered trucker hat. I had not seen it since before Ford found us. That seems like a lifetime ago, and in a sense it was. The pine tree symbol still stood out against the dried bloodstains. Bill’s pocket dimension had preserved it. Our thumb rubbed over the fabric in a fond gesture. Had I control of our mouth I would be smiling, but I think Bill already was. I found myself dragged into the back of our mind a moment later. It wasn’t so bad once I calmed down from the sensation. Bill wanted his privacy, I could understand that. It gave me time to sort through what had happened up to that point.

When I was allowed back in my viewing position the Pines had already returned. I don’t know how long it had taken, but Stan seemed to be fine despite his fall. The twins were happy and Ford was relieved if acting a bit silly. He was worried about his brother. It was funny to see him taking care of Stan for once instead of the other way around. The chubbier old man was quickly losing his patience for it, however. I shrunk back when his brown eyes zeroed in on us.

“Lucifer, kitchen, now,” his gruff voice commanded. He made sure the others did not follow us.

“My, uh, my name is Will,” Bill quietly corrected. He was both parts amused and offended that Stan would use that name.

“You’re still a hell spawn,” Stan brushed the issue aside. “Sit down and let’s talk.”

Bill eventually complied with the human’s orders. He brought our arms up to rest on the table, folding our fingers together. Stan took the seat across from us with his usual stern expression. His suspicious glare was lessened for one reason or another. I couldn’t help wondering what the others had shared with him. Stan most likely had made his own assumptions on the matter. Perhaps he even suspected the truth of how everything happened. There were still parts I did not know, like what exactly Bill did to him before informing Ford.

“So, Ford says you’re the one that found me,” Stan stated a bit awkwardly. He seemed to feel slightly guilty about something. Bill nodded in affirmation. “Well, then, I suppose I owe you some thanks, and maybe a small apology.”

“Not at all, Stan,” Bill claimed. The man gave us a strange look, but for once seemed at ease in our presence. I was back to worrying about how close my counterpart was becoming with the Pines. “You are family after all.”

“Yes, well,” Stan spoke after glancing away. His brown eyes fixed on us with that familiar glare of suspicion. Our body stiffened, and I believe even Bill was caught off guard by the sudden switch. “How much of that demon mojo did you use on me?”

“What?”

“You did something to me,” Stan accused. He seemed more curious than actually angry, though there was fear for the answer as well. “The others don’t know, yet, but the doctors know my condition. Now I know I’m not one of those ‘could kick the bucket any second’ types, but I’ve certainly been through the years. So, tell me how a seventy-three year old has the liver, and other organs, of a non partying twenty-something.”

“An excellent workout regime?” Bill offered unconvincingly. Stan clearly did not buy it, but he did not seem angry in that moment.

“Why?” Stan deflated and slumped back into his chair. “Why would you fix me up like that?”

“Well, like you said you’re up there in years,” Bill said. He shifted our position to throw one arm over the back of the chair. “You still have some years on you, sure. Certainly not as much as Ford, though.”

“You decided to fix that, then?” Stan questioned. He was watching us more carefully. Bill was certainly acting too comfortable around him, but he also was not giving himself away that much. “How many more years did you put on me? Am I the only one?”

“Of course,” Bill exclaimed. “You are family after all. It’s hard to say exactly how much longer you’ll have now. Cause is hard to predict, the when not so much. No, you are not the only or the first.”

Stan seemed to panic at those last words. Bill turned our attention to the little eavesdropper on the conversation. The little pink eating machine walked right up to the hand my counterpart held out. He patted Waddles on the head before picking up the pig. The pet made himself comfortable in our lap. Stan was no longer on his way to freaking out, but he was looking at us funny.

“You extended the pig’s life,” he stated more than questioned.

“Yes,” Bill replied as though it was obvious. Perhaps it was, but even I was having trouble understanding why. “Do you have any idea how upset Mabel would be over losing him?”

“For Mabel then,” Stan decided with a nod. I was starting to follow his line of thinking in that moment. Bill was doing this for the twins, one in particular. I did not know why, but at least I was getting closer to that answer. “And you extended my life because it would devastate her as well.”

“Do you not think it would?” Bill asked.

Waddles squirmed in our hold, and my counterpart released him. The pig scampered off into the other room, most likely in search of his human. Stan continued to watch us, but his suspicious glare was just a stare. He would continue to be suspicious, thankfully, but he would not so openly distrust us. Ultimately both Stans just wanted the twins to be safe and happy. Perhaps Bill wanted the same thing, to an extent. Why though?

 

Dipper groaned as he practically smashed his head down on the table in front of his laptop. His sister turned her head in his direction. The boy had been calculating some numbers, for what I had no idea. Bill tilted our head at the brunet’s frustrated sound. The screen in front of the teenager showed quite a large amount of money. There was a smaller number on the pad of paper to his left. I wondered if the numbers were supposed to be the same.

“We’ve still got one year, bro bro,” Mabel offered in order to calm him down. “I’m confident you can get the remainder by then.”

“Ugh, that’s easy for you to say,” Dipper griped. He lifted his head from the table to glare at Mabel.

“Not this again, Dipper,” Mabel whined. She flopped back in her chair in exasperation. “Paz offered to pay for me, and she wouldn’t let me turn her down. It’s not my fault!”

“You could at least ask her to pay for my tuition as well,” Dipper suggested. “I know she hates me, but she’d do it for you.”

“Dipper,” Mabel exclaimed with a scandalized expression. “I am not using Pacifica’s love for me against her!”

The boy grumbled something about rich girlfriends. His head hit the table again. Mabel attempted to calm him down again, but was met with silence and the occasional hand pushing her own away. We watched from our spot seated on the table. Neither Stan was around, so no one would yell at Bill for having his classy boots on the place they ate. Well, Dipper had, but quickly given up that battle. I still wanted us to move, but it wasn’t like I would be listened to either.

Mabel huffed and picked up Waddles. She left the room, claiming that she would return once Dipper stopped being a grump. The brunet continued to press his face into the hard surface. Bill picked up the notepad to get a better look at the numbers on it. There were lines of prices, but most were crossed out. Only the last dollar amount remained. My counterpart returned the pad only to take the laptop. That got Dipper’s attention.

“What the hell, Will?” Dipper cried out. “Give it back!”

“I got this, kid,” Bill soothed, which did nothing to calm the teenager down. He studied the added amounts on the screen, fixing a few of Dipper’s miscalculations. The numbers still did not add up. Our focus returned to the brunet. “What is this for?”

“It’s the money I need to pay for college next year,” Dipper replied while still trying to take his laptop back. He eventually succeeded, but seemed to realize that Bill had let him have the device back. “If I had a rich partner like Mabel this wouldn’t be a problem, or just a few friends willing and able to help me out.”

Bill hummed in response before snapping his fingers. Dipper jumped at the sound and action like a startled kitten. His startled brown eyes shifted from us to the sudden gold brick on the table. He set his laptop aside before investigating the new center piece. The boy poked it to make sure it was solid, it was. His eyes came back to us in confusion. There was uncertainty there that seemed to upset Bill in a way different from anger.

“Is that not enough?” He asked. “I have more, infinitely more.”

“No,” Dipper exclaimed in shock. His arms waved about to stop Bill from doing anything else. “No, this is fine. This is, more than fine. How, where did it come from?”

“My pocket dimension,” Bill supplied. Our hands settled in our lap a moment later. My counterpart seemed pleased. “I keep most of my cherished objects there.”

“I wouldn’t let Grunkle Stan know about it then,” Dipper half-joked. He still seemed uncertain about the gold brick, but picked it up carefully. He offered a thankful smile.

 

I found myself locked away throughout the night for one reason or another. I dreaded each time that I would either not come back, or that all I had come to care for would be gone when I did. Bill’s plans for the Pines still terrified me. He terrifies me in general. There really wasn’t anything to do when my counterpart would not let me out. Not that there was much to do besides watch otherwise, but at least then I knew what was happening around me. There was nothing but darkness surrounding me. Some areas were darker than others, and the shadows shifted every once in awhile. Sometimes it seemed like I was casting a shadow myself, but I knew it was Bill.

My counterpart seemed to be more active in the recesses of my mind. He was studying, reaffirming, and altering things around him. I do not know to what end, and I dread finding out. Bill never addressed me, he had no reason to. I was no threat to him and his plans despite possessing the same powers. It wasn’t like I knew how to use them any better than he did. No, Bill was the master of this world, and he was certainly more powerful, more relentless than I would ever be. That being said, I found myself relieved when the shifting shadows turned out to be him skulking about just out of reach. Nothing was more dangerous than my double, so nothing would dare enter his domain. Perhaps he understood I trusted him in a way, and provided me that comfort if only to make me less of a coward. He is still ashamed to acknowledge that we are the same species, I believe.

The next night I was allowed to see was probably the most unsettling. I blinked my eyes to focus. I was in control for once. My body felt so sluggish, though. The room I found myself in was dimly lit. There was not much to it besides the old copier machine across from me. I groaned, and attempted to get up. No, all I could move were my eyes and very slightly my mouth. The panic mounted, but I could not scream.

“There you are, Blue,” Bill’s voice sounded in front of me. I focused in that direction, and found him sitting on the old copier.

The human form I had become familiar with calling my own looked at me with golden yellow irises and slit-pupil eyes. Bill’s teeth gleamed almost blindingly white as he smiled inhumanly at me. The outfit he wore was much like the one I started with, yet different. The baby blue jacket was bright yellow along with the button up vest underneath covering the white dress shirt. His black slack covered legs were crossed at the knees with his gloved hands folded on top. My counterpart let his booted feet dangle over the edge as he watched me. A black top hat rested over his golden hair. His human form was tanned, while mine was pale as a sheet.

“I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come out on your own,” Bill spoke as he leaned forward. He rested his pointed face on his left hand while the other lay across his lap. His smile never wavered.

“W-wha-what?” I managed to ask. I had no idea what was happening. Bill seemed to enjoy this fact.

“Don’t worry, Blue,” my counterpart urged with that unhinged smile of his. I was past worrying at this point, I was panicked. He must have been aware. “Everything will be fine. Phase two is underway, and you’ll love phase three. I promise!”

I forced my eyes shut as I fought against my body’s frozen state. It did nothing, and could very well have angered Bill. A gloved finger lifted my chin to focus my gaze. I did not want to look at my counterpart, but there was little else I could do. My eyes met his single golden eye, the other hidden by his nose length bangs. He tilted his head to reveal the other eye, probably just to unsettle me further. His thumb came to rest over my chin to keep my face steady. I gulped in fear.

“Now, I can’t reveal all the details,” Bill began. “All you need to know is that our dear little Pines family will be just fine. In fact, once phase three gets underway you can tell them all about our little arrangement here. I’d prefer that you didn’t, of course, and it might hurt you more, but I won’t hinder it by that point.”

Bill studied my reaction to his words. I was more confused than anything else. I had no idea what he was talking about. Phase two and three? I did not like the sound of it at all. He did claim that the Pines would remain unharmed, but it wasn’t like Bill was a trustworthy demon. He had helped them up to this point, though. My eyes must have shown what he was looking for.

“For the time being however, I want to show you something,” Bill whispered and his grin seemed to turn even more manic.

The room we were in faded from my vision to be replaced with somewhere outside. It was still dark out. The forest was to our right while a road ran to our left. Bill grabbed my arms and brought me to my feet. I think he’s actually taller than me. I was able to stand. The desertedness of the road beside us made me uncomfortable. I would also have been worried if there were cars since Bill could throw me into traffic, but with no one around he could get away with anything. Granted his earlier words suggested that I would remain intact.

His grin did nothing to calm my fears of his intentions. His gloved hands were still on my upper arms with a steadying grip. The hold tightened and he shifted me closer only to push me back again. He released me and I found myself pushed backwards and onto my back. I looked up at him in shock, but he only smiled. I watched as he stepped closer, struggling to move back to avoid another attack. My counterpart did not seem concerned with my attempted retreat. Bill held his arm out in front of him, and something seemed to encase his hand over the glove.

I watched the substance stretch as he slowly walked forward. The area around us seemed to flash a tinted color I could not place. His hand burst from the strange barrier. Bill stopped his advance and placed his hands on his hips with an air of success. He seemed almost giddy at whatever had just transpired. I flinched when he forced me to my feet again. The world spun around us, no, we were spinning. I stumbled once Bill released me, still infinitely confused and uneasy. I chanced a glance at my counterpart who still held a triumphant smile.

“Phase two, Blue,” he said as though that would clear everything up.

We returned to the other side of the apparently useless barrier. Bill was still overly excited about his accomplishment. He refused to let me go, not that I had any intention of leaving. It wasn’t like I could go where Bill wouldn’t find me, and I would be too scared to try. He gave me a pleased look, and then I was forced back into blackness.

Everything seemed to go as normal after that. Bill was back in control, but he felt...off somehow. We spent the nights on the couch downstairs, or on the windowsill in Dipper’s room. The young twins returned to their home as they did after every summer’s end apparently. Stan kept bothering us about the gifts Bill gave them, gold bricks. It was Dipper’s second, but no one needed to know that. It seemed money and valuables were the way to win Stan over. I still felt uneasy whenever the Pines shared traits with my former captors.

 

“Phase three,” Bill’s voice brought me up from the dark.

I blink my eyes, finding myself on the bathroom floor. My body is stiff, but I can move it. I groan as I slowly sit up. My hands press into my eyes once I’m sitting. I lift my head and blink some more. Bill’s presence is nowhere to be found in my mind. The last time this happened he was in his own human vessel. I look around to locate my double, but I am alone. It does not sit well.

It is a struggle getting to my feet, but I manage thanks to the sink. I hoist myself up to look in the mirror only to fall backwards. No, that cannot be right. I get up again and cautiously look at my reflection. My hair is blue, as are my eyes that are missing the reptilian pupils. I blink and they are there once more. What is happening to me? What has happened to me? Where is Bill?

“Will?” Ford asks on the other side of the closed door. He sounds scared, concerned. Has he been trying to get my attention long?

“...yes?” I respond hesitantly. Can I let him see me like this? Would he know immediately what is going on? I feel my panic rising at the thought. I am hyperventilating a second later. There is pounding, and shouts.

Brown eyes stare down at me in concern when I calm down. Ford is holding me, sitting on the bathroom floor with my head against his chest. I sigh in relief as his hand pets my head. My fingers loosen in his burgundy shirt and I attempt to smooth down the fabric. He chuckles and takes my hand. I stare at it a moment before turning my now blue eyes to the human’s face. Concern is still etched there.

“Are you okay now?” Ford questions carefully. I nod softly and it relaxes him. His eyes take in my hair and eyes, but he says nothing about them. “Let’s get out of the bathroom before Lee wants it.”

Stan gives me a suspicious look when I see him next. He says nothing on the matter. Ford has come up with the theory that I am becoming more human. He seems convinced, and in turn convinces his brother to at least forget about it.

“Do you want me to try working on reverting you back again?” Ford asks in the kitchen.

I ponder it for a bit, but ultimately decide against it. I’m not really becoming more human after all, and if I was I don’t find the concept as terrifying as I once might have. What I do find terrifying is that the Stans are going to find out the truth sooner or later. Their reactions are what terrify me. No matter which way I look at it they will be furious with me and distrust me even more than they did when we first met.

It is for this reason that I decide to leave in the middle of the night. I debate about leaving a note, but do not. I would only be delaying myself, and possibly manage to talk myself out of leaving all together. No, I cannot chance them finding out the truth when I am still there. They can hate me in hindsight, but I cannot bare the disappointed and betrayed looks they will give me if I am there when it happens.

The sun is coming up while I decide where exactly I am going. I am in the middle of the forest somewhere. It is scary, but I press on. I could still turn around and go back to the Mystery Shack. I still know the path back. I force myself on despite thinking about how they are reacting. Ford is probably rushing around trying to find me, and Stan will wake up to a frantic twin. They’ll probably search for me. That would put them in the woods. They are capable humans, but the woods are dangerous. I can’t let them get hurt by the creatures lurking here.

I turn around at that thought and begin heading back. A sound similar to Bill’s and my teleportation grabs my attention. Could my counterpart be returning? Does he think I screwed up? I don’t even know where he went off to, but I would like to give him a piece of my mind after the alterations he made to or left with my body. I would just lose my nerve when confronted with him anyway, probably. What if he was back at the Shack torturing Stan and Ford right now?

I pick up my pace only to stop dead in my tracks. There is a man getting up from the dirt. His black trench coat has me taking a step back. His dark brown hair is graying at the sides, most likely from stress more than age. I watch him brush dirt from his dark clothes. He has six fingers on each hand. My breath catches and the sound must be audible. Brown eyes focus on me in surprise as one hand shifts for a weapon at his belt. He pauses and studies me.

No, no, nonononononono

The man before me I would recognize anywhere. He looks just the same as the day the portal swallowed him, plus a few visible scars on his face. His eyes are deceptively warm. I take a step back in fear. He relaxes his stance.

“...Stanford,” I breathe.

“William?” Two voices shout in the distance behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so evil. Mwahahahahahaha!


End file.
